[Eric Dobbe]

That’s a great article Mark. I totally agree that it is a delicate time of the year with grazing management. The way I tackle this period is by focusing on the grass first, soil second and animal requirements third – the animals are doing well without too much of our influence! My aim is to prolong the growing potential of our pasture and promote strategic seed set. I plan to graze plants that are fully recovered and that have strong and deep roots (so far this spring that has meant a minimum of 70 days). I also remain very adaptive with my decision making to graze different pastures and what residual I aim for based on what the season and plant growth stages are telling me. Essentially, I am still aiming for a high utilisation of up around 70%. I achieve this with a high stocking rate (over 100 cows/ha) and daily moves. This results in non selective grazing and ensures that some of the poorer species like silver grass, brome grass, Wimmera ryegrass and cape weed are still consumed. The net benefit is that we maintain a high leaf to stem ratio (actively growing) with the more desirable species and cultivars like clover and long season rye grasses growing back the most vigorously after the graze. In my context, I am not conserving fodder in a bale, however, I do set significant area aside to run up to peak biomass and then seed set. This stock pile is managed in the non growing season, when I shift my priority back to soil above grass. The aim then is maintaining ground cover whilst maintaining animal body condition.